Yukon's Eagle Gold mine evacuated due to fire for 2nd time this week

For the second time in less than a week, workers at the Eagle Gold mine near Mayo, Yukon, have evacuated the site due to wildfire nearby. 

The same fire approached the mine last weekend, prompting an evacuation of over 200 workers on Sunday. By Tuesday, workers began returning. 

"The fire approached the mine last weekend," said Victoria Gold CEO John McConnell, "and, you know, we were able to put things in place to prevent it and it burnt back on itself and we thought things were pretty clear … but it was still a big fire and it started to move southwest of us."

The fire is now approaching the mine from the southwest, McConnell said. 

"So it actually crossed our access road, so we felt we should evacuate the mine again." 

In all, some 335 people have been moved off site, either to Banyan Gold's exploration camp, the Silver Trail Lodge or into Whitehorse.

About 15 people remained on site, mostly to feed the firefighters, which numbered about 60 early Friday with another 40 expected to arrive later. 

"We're cooking, cleaning for them now and these guys are just unbelievable," McConnell said. "They do such a great job."

Asked how the second evacuation went, McConnell gave a nod to "a pretty efficient team." 

"They had put a plan in place for the first evacuation and you know, they did find a few issues, so they tweaked it and it was ready to go with the second time around. So it was even more efficient the second time."

Mike Fancie is a territorial fire information officer. He said his office made the recommendation to evacuate on Friday morning. 

"We recommended this action to Victoria Gold because of threats to the access road as well as unfavourable winds that are expected to bring the fire towards valleys in the area." 

Fancie said Friday the fire was now close to 6,000 hectares in size.

He says 20 firefighters, heavy equipment and two helicopters are battling the blaze, with more crews expected to arrive in Mayo on Saturday.

Speaking calmly to CBC News, McConnell sounded nonplussed by the affair. 

"We got through COVID, we've got through a first fire. We're getting through a second fire, we'll be fine," he said on Friday. 

"We'll get an update later this evening and we'll go from there … If all goes well, we're re-mobilizing the crew tomorrow or Sunday and getting back into operation."